Kennel Design

[SWMissouri]

Does anyone know of any good web links to pages containing pictures of kennels? I am going to build a better set of pens for my beagles but do not have a ton of cash to do so. If anyone knows of some pictures or descriptions I would appreciate it. Replies are also very welcome!!!
God Bless

[Stone Cold Beagles]

Do you want above ground kennels or grounds level kennels?

[Bev]

Here's a website (Photo Album) I threw together for the BeaglesUnlimited crowd. This is the link to the home page because you might want to look at some of the other stuff - Heads & Harvests, etc. Down toward the bottom is a yellow-lettered link that says Kennel Construction. There are a few kennels of different types on there.

When time allows, I'll try to put some more stuff on there. We've recently purchased some ne above-grounds that are to die for, but I don't have pictures of them yet.

http://www.geocities.com/bubbfolks/index.html

There are also pictures of some of the folks that post here with their hounds - you might find it fun to see what everyone look's like - put a face with a name.

[SWMissouri]

What does everyone recommend? Above ground or on the ground? If on the ground do you think gravel or cement is better? I have heard several opinions on both. good and bad... Bev, what do you recommend?
Thanks!
James

[Bev]

Whether you have above-grounds, regular ground kennels, or a combination of both, I recommend a pea-gravel base approx. 4" deep. Cement is too unforgiving to the joints, and dirt can't be disinfected very well (also turns into a big mudhole real fast). For a quick and easy do-it-yourself kennel base, you can't go wrong with the pea-gravel. We have 17 hounds on or over it. Once a day they get to roll in the grass and prowl around in the rest of the back yard so they aren't too deprived and will kennel up on their own when the dinner bucket is brought out.

Pea gravel feels good to the hound under foot and bleachwater spray to disinfect drains nicely. It's great as a base under above-grounds as you can just take a garden rake and pull any stools toward you and pick up from the front or back. No need for stool to pile up under them. Pea gravel is fairly inexpensive and ready to use, too. No setting up to worry about or waiting for good weather to pour it.

This is just my preference. You should get plenty of other responses pro and con.

If you opt for a cement run, put in a wooden platform or something to give the hounds a place to perch.

[Aaron Bartlett]

As far as im concerned above ground pens are the only way to go! I have never tried the pea gravel underneath them. What I do is build a frame out of treated lumber underneath the pen, I use 2x12's. After the frame is built I go buy agricultural lime and put inside the frame 4"-6" deep. Lime keeps the smell down. Lime is cheap.......you can buy it for less than $10 a ton. Cleaning up under the pens is easy.....All you need is a yard rake and a small shovel.

[James Carman]

I have had concrete runs for about 15 years now. I wash them daily. Twice daily in the summer. The droppings go into a drain and then to a trench at the end of my property. Here the solids settle out. This "ditch" must be cleaned out 3 or 4 times a year. There is very little smell until ditch cleaning time. Concrete pens disinfect easily and the bleach can be totally rinsed off. I have never had a hound lame as a result of this surface and it does help keep the nails worn down. Pea gravel works well if your hounds do not dig in it or throw it out of the run. Also, some types of dirt readily let the pea gravel sink in and disappear. I have a friend with pea gravel runs. They stay filthy most of the winter as the snow and ice is almost impossible to clean off. Bev, I know that IN has its share of frozen precip so you must do a lot better job of maintenance than my buddy. With concrete, one can keep the pens clean all year round with only a modest amount of work. I firmly believe that a clean pen is essential to having a healthy hound.

[Bev]

Jim, the key is to keep the gravel deep. A certain amount will get embedded into the dirt, then one will need to put fresh on top. After a while, it packs down pretty hard under the loose stone, but still drains. Pups are the hardest on pea gravel about pounding it in and scattering it around. We have to refresh their pens a little more often, but when we order the pea-gravel, we order a couple tons extra and have a pile nearby to refresh with. Framing in the base helps a lot, but some gravel does get scattered into the yard in places.

The worst the mature hounds do is hollow out a cool bed for themselves in the summertime so we like to keep it 4" deep. As far as digging goes, we did trench the perimeter of each kennel 6-8" deep and put some Sakrete in there.

[blackdirt beagles]

if your worried about digging, lay down some cheap(or scrap pieces) of any fence first and them put pea gravel over it. after 1 or 2 attempts most dogs give up on digging. works good

[Guest]

from the view of someone outside the hunting arena....
Having seen dogs, helped dogs, and cared for dogs pulled from every situation and lifestyle you could ever dream of...here is some of what I have seen...
the first most important thing to concider is yourself. 99.9% of all dogs who end up in "trouble" or not well kept is not really do to any fault of the owner...other than he/she may have chosen a way to manage thier animals that didnt really fit thier lifestyle. The dogs who we have taken that have been badly kept...for instance one we had just a few months ago who had severe fungal rot on his paws...was in that condition mostly because his owner just did not have the time to keep his area clean and dry. She had ground level, saw dust base, kennel and worked too much to clean it every day. If she had chosen an above ground kennel, which she should clean everyday anyway, but....the dog would not have gotten the rot if he had been up out of his waste and the moisture. So this fist question is your own need!
I will agree though that pea gravel is a great base for either kennel! it is affordable, easy to keep clean, is good on paws and bodies.

[Bev]

A very wise and insightful (is that a word?) post, Guest! Whether we utilize ground runs, above-grounds, or keep our beagles inside, everyone must be honest about their own situation in determining what's feasible in providing good care and shelter.

Same holds true of the number of dogs kept. That's the nice thing about beagling - it's pretty much affordable for anyone who wants to participate. If resources are limited, 2 beagles, 1 good, shady kennel with 1 good box in it will get you in the game! It's not how many we keep but how well we keep the ones we have!

[James Carman]

Bev, I have never had dogs on Pea gravel and my buddy has not before. It was the more affordable choice for him at the time. I am sure that if he had more time and experience that his could be kept cleaner. He should have added more gravel to his a month or so after he put them up. The gravel was there, but he did not take the time. With any surface, one has to work at maintaining a clean environment. How do you clean snow and ice out of your pens? Does it just wash through? He sure needs to know how. His pens are atrocious during these times.

[Bev]

Jim, the snow and ice accumulation (believe it or not) doesn't stay around long here. When we have a decent accumulation, we have to shovel a bit to open the gates anyway, so we shovel a little area for them to go potty in. We don't shovel down into the gravel when there's snow, as one added benefit is the turds are easier to see on a thin layer of white snow, lol! As the snow melts, it takes the urine down with it.

We got 7.5 inches of snow Christmas eve. and it's already melted and gone. Once bare rock is exposed again, we can bleachwater spray it while the dogs are in the yard playing. With 17 dogs and neighbors surrounding us, we have to keep after it daily, but we use that time when the dogs are out playing to do it. It assures them some free play time and clean kennels. WSRandy, Andy & Gretchen, Doc S. and a few other locals have been by and can vouch that the kennels stay pretty nice. (the grass in the yard is worn in places, but who cares - it's their yard)

The biggest reason we went for pea gravel was the inability to back a cement truck up into our back yard (city lot and no one will take responsibilty) and we could never get 6 big guys together with wheelbarrows to bring it around from the front, lol! Another reason we didn't go with concrete is that it is very permanent and we may head for the country should we hit the lottery soon. Most of our hounds are males and have a kennel to themselves. We only have 3 kennels where hounds are doubled up - an 8x16' and 2 6x12's. There are 3 more 6x12's and 8 above-ground runs. That makes for a huge spread out kennel area. The next property owner may not want a big, long concrete pad back there. Since we did go with pea gravel, I've seen some real benefits to it.

When we do move, we can sew some grass seed, use the gravel to landscape around the trees and flower beds and call it a day.

[Richard]

I have to agree with Jim, I like the cement kennels. I have a kennel 40'X 10' and an attached pen of 40' X 50' that is dirt. I have 4 seperate pens under roof 10' X 10' on the cement. I wash my pens once or twice a day and my dogs are never lame from the cement floor. I let them out in the larger pen during the day while I wash out the kennels and they can lay out in the sunshine on the grass.

[Full Choke]

I built a wood based kennel box. Two 3x3 compartments. The construction is 2x6 floor, 2x4 walls/roof and plywood. This kennel box is insulated w/ R-13 top, sides and bottom. The run for my kennel is 70' x 40' chain link fence. The fence is 5' high with a 1' skirt on the bottom (to prevent the hounds from digging out). The run is all grass. Around the box the grass has gone bare, however the majority of the pen looks fine. We pick up "turds" daily".

This set up has been effective for the past 6-months, housing 5 beagles. I live in Point Marion, PA - close to the West Virginia border. I built the kennel box for about $270.00, and I paid a company $2,000.00 to put up the fence. I just didn't have the time to put up the fence myself, so I literally paid the price! I'm very happy with this configuration thus far.

Joe